Objection! Remastered
by 801tman
Summary: Trucy is attending a magic show in Kurain Village. However, it has been seven years since Phoenix and Maya have seen each other. What has changed in Maya's life? Remake and improvement of Objection!
1. Chapter 1

Welcome to Objection! Remastered. A few years ago, I wrote Objection! as a way to improve my writing and help me to put a story idea I had down on paper (or word processor.) However, my writing back then was HORRIBLE compared to how it is now, and there were several things I put into the story I wish I never did. So here, it's going to be a new and improved version of that story. This story is also before Spirit of Justice. If you haven't read the original, it isn't necessary to read it before reading this. Anyways, sorry for my rambling, and on with the story!

Phoenix Wright was sitting at his desk, paper in hand, staring at the words that were printed on the page. Sighing, he rubbed his hands through his spiky black hair. It had been a few months since he had been given back his attorneys badge and had already been involved in some pretty hectic cases. Athena had gone back to Europe for some more psychological training, saying it would help the office in the long run, leaving only he and Apollo.

Apollo knocked on the door to Phoenix's office. "Hey boss, any new cases today?"

"I'm afraid not. Hasn't been busy here since Athena left."

Apollo sighed. "Yeah…I must admit, it's too quiet here when she isn't around. Trucy is out doing a magic show right now and won't be back until dinner."

Phoenix laughed. "Well, we should probably enjoy this time to relax while we can. It isn't too often we have a lull like this, not since I became an attorney again."

Apollo nodded. "You're right…but it's just so boring right now."

Apollo looked at the paper that was still in Phoenix's hand. "What's that paper for? Paperwork regarding a previous case?"

"No…it's a list of candidates I created for an assistant. We can't expect Trucy to keep on filing away our paperwork forever, and sometimes she tries to use them in her magic panties trick and are never seen again. So…I created a list to see who would be best suited for the job."

"What about that girl you had before us? What was her name…uh…Maya Fey was it?"

"Maya? I can't expect her to come back. After all, she's the master of the Kurain Channeling Technique. She has her own responsibilities to attend to, and I have mine."

"But isn't she the most qualified? Wouldn't hurt to try asking her."

Phoenix smiled. "I'll have to think about it. Anyways, since we have time, why don't we-"

The door to the building swung open quickly, revealing a sweaty, exhausted Trucy Wright. "Dad! You gotta hear about this! After I finished my first magic show, a very well known magician came up to me and told me about a competition he would love to have me compete in! He said many aspiring magicians are attending, and said that I have a chance of winning!"

Phoenix smiled. "That's awesome Trucy! Where is that competition going to be held?"

"At…uh…Kurain Village I think. It's written on this poster the man gave me!"

Trucy shoved the poster at Phoenix, who quickly scanned the contents. __Well I'll be…it really is in Kurain Village…which means that Maya will probably be there.__

Trucy impatiently waited for Phoenix to finish reading and looked at him. "Please Dad?"

Phoenix sighed. "Alright, since I've got quite a bit of free time lately, I'll go with you. The poster said the competition is in three days. Have you registered for it yet?"

"No, but I'm going to right now! Thank you Dad!"

Trucy charged out of the room, quickly getting on a laptop to register. Phoenix chuckled. "Well…guess I'll be going to Kurain Village after all."

Apollo laughed. "That will probably present a great opportunity to ask Maya you know."

"Oh be quiet. There's no guarantee Maya will be there anyways."

"I dunno. She seems the kind of girl who would love a show like that."

Phoenix had to agree with Apollo. "Well…we'll just have to wait and see what happens while I'm there."

Phoenix spun his chair around and looked out the windows of his office. __It's been a while since I've been to Kurain…it'll be nice to be back to say the least.__


	2. Chapter 2

The shriek of the alarm clock startled Phoenix awake. Looking up from his bed, he turned off the alarm and glanced at the time. "Huh…it's already seven…"

Phoenix yawned loudly as he got out of bed and into the bathroom. After taking a shower and getting ready, he started to prepare breakfast. As Phoenix was beginning to put the toasted waffles on a plate, Trucy entered the kitchen. "Mornin Dad. You ready?"

"Yeah, had everything packed last night. What about you? You ready to wow the crowd?"

"Not quite…not yet at least." Phoenix pushed forward the plate of waffles he had prepared. "Here, gotta eat before we head out."

Trucy nodded and grabbed a fork as Phoenix put more waffles into the toaster. "So, Dad, would you by any chance have a spare set of keys I could borrow for a magic act?"

Phoenix glanced towards Trucy. "I have lost too many things in those panties of yours to say 'yes.'"

"Aww you're no fun." Trucy suddenly began to smirk. "You'll probably be glued to Maya the second we get there."

Phoenix, who had begun to drink a glass of orange juice, began to cough loudly, spraying a mist of juice all over the kitchen. "W-why would you think that?"

"Oh, you know…it's just that you two haven't seen each other in a while…and you're friends…so I just thought you would want to talk to her…" Trucy gave Phoenix a lopsided grin.

Phoenix shook his head. __Liar…__

Trucy started sniffing the air. "Do I smell something burning?"

Phoenix gasped and rushed to the toaster as the waffles began to smoke.

An hour later, Phoenix and Trucy hailed a cab and put their suitcases in the trunk of the taxi. After telling the driver to head to the train station, Phoenix sank into the seat and let his mind roam, back to the time he had first met Maya. That disturbing night when his mentor Mia was murdered in cold blood. He thought about the cases they went through afterwards and how they had dealt with the adversity.

The time seemed to fly by as soon the taxi pulled up to the station. After paying the driver and taking the luggage out of the trunk, Phoenix and Trucy boarded the necessary train. Soon, they were Kurain Village bound.

Phoenix had dozed off by the time Trucy shook him awake again. "Dad! Wake up! We're at the Kurain station!"

Phoenix slowly opened his eyes and glanced around. Sure enough, the train was just rolling to a stop, and others aboard the train began to flock out. Phoenix stretched and grabbed his suitcase. "Man…how time flew by. Seemed we had just left the office a few minutes ago."

"Probably because you were snoring all the way here. People were getting preettty annoyed."

"I don't snore THAT loudly…do I?"

"Like an elephant."

Phoenix smirked and shook his head as he stood up. "Well, time to get going then. It's still a ten minute walk to the village."

Trucy nodded and stood up with Phoenix. They disembarked the train and started the short trek to Kurain. A few passengers had stopped by the station to take pictures. One was obviously a magician, presumably to compete in the same competition as Trucy.

As they left the station behind, Phoenix looked around the dirt road they were traveling. __Nothing has changed since I last walked this path.__ Soon, Kurain came into view at the end of the road.

Trucy pointed forwards. "There it is!"

Phoenix smiled as the village grew closer and closer. Before long, they were in the outskirts of town.

"Ah…it's good to be back."

Trucy's mouth was agape as she took in the scenery. "It's like we stepped back into time!"

Phoenix laughed. "It sure does seem that way."

The door to one of the buildings opened as someone walked out. Phoenix glanced over and gasped.

"Pearls?!"

Pearl Fey looked over in Phoenix's direction. "Oh! It's Mr. Nick!"

Pearl quickly walked up to Phoenix. "It's been a while, a couple months maybe?"

"Around that yeah. How have you been lately?"

"Pretty good. I've been assisting Mystic Maya lately in her training. She's gotten even better as our Master of the channeling technique."

Phoenix grinned. "I'm glad to hear that she's doing well."

Pearl glanced at Trucy and back at Phoenix. "Um…what brings you two to Kurain? Have you come to see Mystic Maya?"

Phoenix blushed and vigorously shook his head. "No! No no nothing like that! Trucy here was invited to join a magic competition that would be held here in Kurain."

Pearl's eyes widened. "Oh! I heard about that! Mystic Maya had been telling me that she can't wait to go watch!"

"So…Maya is…going to watch it then?"

"Isn't that what I just said?" Pearl smiled. "Anyways, I need to get going! I'll see you two around!"

Pearl waved and walked away. Phoenix sighed. "Sheesh, even after all these years, she still is going on and on about me and Maya."

Trucy giggled. "I think it's kinda cute. Anyways, we need to get a room for us to stay in."

"Yeah, you're right. I think there's a hotel of sorts just a couple blocks down. Let's check that out first."

Trucy nodded and followed Phoenix as he led them to the hotel. After securing a room, Phoenix and Trucy explored Kurain, finally finding the area the magic competition was going to be held. As Trucy was speaking with the director, Phoenix took a seat in one of the chairs that had already been set up.

Glancing around, Phoenix was impressed with the layout of the place. "Looks like it's going to be a pretty big deal then."

A sudden yawn hit Phoenix as he stretched his arms out. He was about to stand up when he heard a familiar voice behind him. "Nick?!"

Looking back, a familiar person stood behind him. "M-Maya!"


	3. Chapter 3

"Wow! It really is you Nick!" Maya charged up to Phoenix and gave him a big hug. "I didn't expect that you would come and visit Kurain any time soon. What brings you here?!"

Phoenix chuckled. "Well, it's actually Trucy who brought me here. She's a part of the magic competition here, and as her guardian, I had to come along."

Maya smiled. "Sweet! How long will you two be here then? Right after the competition ends?"

"Nah, I'll probably spend a day with Trucy and explore Kurain. There's a lot to see here that I didn't get to explore when I was last here."

Phoenix spotted a man he hadn't seen before walking up to the two of them before stopping right behind Maya. The man cleared his throat, causing Maya to flinch. Turning around, she saw the man and smiled. "Oh…hey Jonathan."

Jonathan sighed. "Maya, you were supposed to meet me by Mystic Ami's statue a while ago. Why didn't you show?"

"Oh…sorry…I got caught up by seeing the circus tent and seeing Nick again—"

Jonathan turned and looked at Phoenix. "You're Phoenix then? Phoenix Wright?"

Phoenix nodded. "I-I am." _Who the heck is this guy?_

Jonathan stuck out his hand. "I'm Jonathan. Jonathan Crinkle. I'm the son of Mystic Mary."

Phoenix firmly shook Jonathan's hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Jonathan didn't respond. He merely released his grasp of Phoenix's hand and turned back to Maya. "Maya, you know how important these conversations are. I would think it would take precedence over a little circus tent and an old friend."

"I know I know, but I was curious about how it looked inside, and I hadn't seen Nick for ages."

Phoenix gently cleared his throat. "Sorry if I'm prying, but what were you two going to discuss?"

Maya grinned. "Our wedding plans."

Phoenix was stunned. "Did I hear that correctly? Did…did you just say 'wedding plans'?"

"Sure did."

"That's…sudden. I didn't even know you had a boyfriend."

"Sorry about that. I always meant to tell you, but it kept slipping my mind while writing you letters. Don't worry though! You're going to be invited and that's final!"

Phoenix gave a light chuckle. "I see. I guess I'll have to make some space in my schedule to come up here then. How long have you two been dating?"

Jonathan stepped forward. "About two and a half years."

"Wow…that's quite a long time. Good for you two though. I'm happy for you guys."

Maya smiled. "Thanks!" Maya's eyes roamed over Phoenix's shoulder to Trucy who was just finishing speaking to the director. "Isn't that Trucy?"

Phoenix nodded. "Yep, she is."

"Wow, she's grown up a LOT since I last saw her!"

"It has been seven years, so naturally she would grow up at some point."

Phoenix glanced at Jonathan who was getting visibly impatient. "Well, looks like Trucy is finishing up her conversation. I'm going to go ask what was said. It was nice seeing you again Maya, and it was a pleasure to meet you Jonathan."

Jonathan nodded while Maya gave a saddened look on her face. "Oh…alright. I'll see you around Nick!"

Phoenix nodded and started to walk to Trucy before Maya spoke up one last time. "Nick! While you're here, you're taking me to our old burger joint! I haven't had a burger in ages!"

Phoenix nodded. "Alright, would tomorrow work?"

Maya gave an affirmative nod. "Tomorrow it is then!" Maya then turned around and took Jonathan's hand in hers and began the trek towards Mystic Ami's statue.

Phoenix soon reached Trucy right as the director was leaving. Trucy turned to Phoenix, her face beaming with happiness. Phoenix mockingly covered his eyes. "Oh my eyes! The happiness to too much for me to bear!"

Trucy giggled. "Dad, stop. That's embarrassing."

Phoenix laughed. "So why are you so happy?"

"Welllll….the director has decided to let me go first in the competition! I get to make the first impression on the judges!"

Phoenix smiled. "Good! I know you'll absolutely crush the competition!"

As Phoenix and Trucy began to walk out of the tent, Phoenix's mind wandered back towards his conversation with Maya and the news she was engaged. To his surprise, instead of joy over the news, he started to feel sorrow instead. _Why? Why am I feeling this way?_

Meanwhile at Mystic Ami's statue, Maya and Jonathan had just arrived and were sitting on a bench in front of the statue. Maya leaned closer to Jonathan's face and stared. "Why are you staring at me?"

"Oh…nothing. It's just that ever since we left the tent, you've had this disgusted look on your face. Is something wrong?"

"No…there's nothing wrong…it's just that…that Phoenix guy."

"What about him?"

"I don't trust him. He seems like he's a shady person to me, one I wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley."

Maya giggled. "Don't worry about that! Nick is a good person! He's been by my side when no one else would, and he's saved my life before. He's a good person."

"If you say so…"

Maya gave Jonathan a slight smile. She knew that Jonathan was only trying to protect her. "Don't worry. I trust Nick with my life. He wouldn't do anything to me that would hurt me."

Jonathan sighed. "Fine, you win…"

Maya smiled. "Good. Oh, and while Nick and I are at the burger place, could you please look after Trucy while we're gone?"

"What? Why do I need to do that?!"

"Trucy is still underage you know. She'll need to have an adult with her to make sure she doesn't cause mischief."

Jonathan sighed. "Considering your personality, I think you're the last person who could say anyone is causing mischief, but alright, I'll look after her while you two go get burgers."

Maya leaned over and kissed Jonathan on the lips. "Thanks Sweetie."

"Yeah…you're welcome…"


	4. Chapter 4

As Phoenix lay on the soft mat on the ground, he could hear the crickets gently chirping in the distance. It was completely different from how he is used to sleeping, with a mat instead of a bed, but yet somehow it was strangely comfortable. The kimono he was forced to wear to sleep in didn't feel as bad as he thought it would have. _I could get used to this if I lived here._

His thoughts soon turned towards Maya and Jonathan. It was quite a shock knowing that Maya was in a relationship, and for a couple years as well. She never mentioned anything to Phoenix in her letters about Jonathan or her relationship. Phoenix felt a stab of pain as he thought about it. _Maybe Maya and I aren't as close as I thought we were._

His thoughts soon drifted to Jonathan. Phoenix was indeed curious about him. He seemed like a good man, like a caring man, but a feeling of dread began to creep into Phoenix, a feeling he was all too familiar with. Phoenix closed his eyes, determined to keep a close eye on things while he was here and observe Jonathan.

The rooster crowing jolted Phoenix awake. Looking around the room, Phoenix sighed. "Sheesh, talk about a wakeup call. I'd rather have my alarm clock than that." Sitting up and stretching his arms, Phoenix glanced around the room and saw his suitcase. Slipping out of his kimono and into his regular clothes, Phoenix left the room and out into Kurain.

As he was looking around and soaking in the sights, he accidentally bumped into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't see you there Jonathan."

"Oh…it's you Mr. Wright. What are you up so early for?"

"I'm usually up this early since I have to prepare for trials and other things."

"I see. I'm surprised. I heard that all lawyers sleep in till the last second and do things half heartedly."

"Excuse me?"

Jonathan sighed. "If you will excuse me I must be going."

Jonathan brushed past Phoenix and walked off. Phoenix watched as he walked away. "What's his problem?"

"Mr. Nick!"

Phoenix turned around and spotted Pearl walking up to him. "Oh, hey Pearls. Aren't you supposed to be helping the others right now?"

"No, we've already finished." Pearly looked past Phoenix and back at him. "So…what were you and Jonathan talking about earlier?"

"Oh…nothing much. Just stopped by to say hello."

By the look Pearl gave him, Phoenix could tell she didn't believe him. Suddenly, Pearl blurted out, "Mr. Nick, I don't want Mystic Maya to marry Jonathan."

"Uh…you don't?"

"No, I don't. He's been rude to me ever since I was a child. He's almost never friendly to anyone here except for Mystic Maya as well."

"He's probably just trying to impress her. Who knows, maybe Maya will be a good influence to him."

Pearl opened her mouth to say something else when the clanging of a bell rang out. "Oh, the morning bell." Pearl said. "Time for us to have breakfast. I need to get going Mr. Nick. I'll talk to you later."

"Sure. See you later Pearls."

Pearl walked past Phoenix and soon was out of sight.

"I really have screwed things up…"

"What have you screwed up?"

Phoenix flinched and turned around to see Maya standing behind him.

"Oh…uh….just that…I forgot Trucy's and my luggage behind…that's all."

Maya smirked and stared at him. "Oh? That's all?"

"Yep."

Phoenix could tell Maya wasn't buying Phoenix's explanation and cleared his throat. "So…why aren't you at breakfast?"

"Well, one of the perks of being the master is having your own chef, so he'll whip me something up."

"Wow…I never thought that they would give you a chef."

"Don't act surprised. After all, you have your own chef too while you're here."

"Wait…I do?"

"Of course you do…well…he's a chef that cooks for visitors from the magic show, so he cooks for a lot more people than just you."

"I don't remember Trucy telling me this."

"Well, it was only recently decided. It wasn't in the initial announcement."

"Ah, I see."

An awkward silence ensued, leaving Phoenix desperate to come up with something to say. However, Maya beat him to it. "Well, I have to go Nick. I'm the master after all, and I have duties to fulfill. I'll see you in a couple hours!" Maya quickly hugged Phoenix and quickly walked away. Phoenix sighed as he began to walk down the path once again, towards his house.

On his way back, he spotted Trucy, already wearing traditional Kurain clothing.

Trucy noticed Phoenix as well and waved. Phoenix approached her as Trucy began scratching her arm.

"I never thought that their clothing could be so itchy. It looked so comfortable earlier."

Phienix chuckled. "I'm sorry. I should have remembered to bring our luggage. Want me to head back to the office today and get you some new clothes?"

"Yes please! No offence to Kurain, but their clothing definitely needs some help."

Phoenix laughed. "Alright, I will. Oh, did you know that visitors because of the magic contest have their own chef?"

"What?! They do?!"

"Yes we do. I'm sure you'd want to take advantage of it."

Trucy nodded. "Oh, I definitely will. We should head over to the cafeteria right now actually."

Phoenix nodded and stood up. After making their way there, they got in line and ordered their food. Trucy told Phoenix she would quickly go to the bathroom and left him at the table by himself. Looking around the room, Phoenix noticed how most of the people in the cafeteria were mainly normal looking, not having any Kurain influence.

As he began to start eating his breakfast, he heard a familiar voice behind him. "Why, you look absolutely FABULOUS today!"

Phoenix quickly swallowed his food and looked behind him. "Oh! Max! I didn't expect to see you here! It's been a few years since we last saw each other."

"Why, yes it has. Anyways, the reason I'm here is because I'm a judge in the competition! After my FABULOUS performance at the Berry Big Circus, I was contacted by the founders of this competition and asked for me to judge."

"Ah, well, congrats on being selected."

"Why thank you!"

"So, how's Regina?"

Max suddenly grew quiet, his facial expression changing drastically.

"Well, look at the time, I must be going. I hope you have a FABULOUS day!"

Max quickly left, leaving Phoenix alone with his food, but only for a moment. Trucy returned from her bathroom trip and sat across from Phoenix, quickly eating the food on her plate. Phoenix was silent as he ate his own breakfast, his mind preoccupied with other matters.

Meanwhile, out in the forest near Kurain, a figure was hunched close to a rock, talking on the phone. "Yes, Mother, I understand. After their fairytale wedding, I'll make sure her life will be miserable, miserable enough to kill herself."

The figure was silent for a few moments before he began to speak again. "Him? I assure you, he's not going to pose any threat to what we have planned. I promise everything will proceed as planned."


	5. Chapter 5

Phoenix stared intently at himself in the mirror. Ever since he had arrived in Kurain, his spiky hair was a bit frizzled, and ever since, he had been trying to straighten it out. As he was smoothing out his hair, he saw Pearl poke her head around the corner. Phoenix spun around and faced her. "Hey Pearls, what's up?"

"Um…I've been wondering something…and I need to ask. When are you going to confess to Mystic Maya?"

Phoenix stood in place, stunned. "Um…what?"

Pearl sighed. "Well, ever since you arrived, I noticed you looking at Mystic Maya with a longing look. I could also see that you were shocked and saddened when Mystic Maya announced she was engaged. So, when are you going to tell her?"

Phoenix let out a big sigh as he looked away. "Never, I guess."

"Why?! Why won't you—"

"Even if I told her, Maya is in love with Jonathan. All it would do would cause tension between us and wouldn't change anything."

Pearl teared up a bit as she stared at Phoenix, before she turned around and walked away. Phoenix looked back at himself in the mirror, his thoughts switching from his hair to Maya.

Satisfied though with how he looked, he left the room and looked for Trucy. After he found her and told her he was leaving for the office, Trucy told him she would be on her best behavior. Phoenix then walked to the train station and waited. Right before the train arrived, Phoenix spotted Maya walking towards him. "Maya! Didn't expect to find you here."

Maya chuckled. "Well, Trucy told me about your trip to the office for more clothes, and since I haven't been back there in years, and since it would be a good time to get our burgers, I decided I could take a little break and join you."

Phoenix nodded. "Well, I wouldn't complain about having some company."

The squeal of the train alerted both of them that the brief wait had ended. After stopping at the station, Phoenix and Maya boarded the train and sat down near the back. A couple minutes later, the train left the station in the opposite direction it had come in.

The ride from Kurain back to the city was a bit longer than Phoenix remembered. Maya had fallen asleep was leaning against the window. Phoenix looked straight ahead, his thoughts went back to the small conversation he had with Pearl.

 _I can't tell Maya anything about that. I wouldn't be able to live it down._

As he was thinking, he felt something lean against his shoulder. Looking to his right, he saw Maya leaning her head against his shoulder, still fast asleep. Phoenix flinched and moved his shoulder. With no shoulder supporting her head, it fell and hit the plastic arm rest.

"Ow!" Maya woke up and rubbed the side of her head. "What was that?"

Phoenix tried to play it off. "What was what?"

"I was asleep, but now my head hurts pretty badly."

"Huh, I have no idea why."

Maya still rubbed her head as she started to stare out the window. Several minutes later, a man's voice echoed throughout the train carriage. "We are approaching our destination. Please wait until the train has come to a complete stop before standing. Thank you for your patronage."

Phoenix sighed. "Well, almost time to get off. You ready?"

Maya nodded. "Yep. I can already smell the burgers."

Phoenix laughed as the train station came into view. After the train stopped, both Phoenix and Maya simultaneously stood up and started to walk down the carriage to the exit. However, as Phoenix looked down to make sure he wasn't going to hit any of the seats, he bumped into someone. "Oh, sorry about that."

Phoenix looked up and looked at the very attractive woman he had bumped into. She was a brunette whose hair went past her shoulders by a few inches. Her eyes were a light shade of green, but could easily be mistaken for light blue eyes, and was the roughly the same height as Phoenix.

The woman turned and looked at him, with a captivating smile on her face. "Oh, don't be. I'm the one to blame. I shouldn't have stopped as suddenly as I did. I just got a text for my work and had to answer."

"Oh? What job do you have?"

"I'm the CEO of BIG Insurance."

Phoenix was stunned. "Oh, that's a pretty lofty job."

"Yeah, the paperwork isn't fun, but the pay more than makes up for it. Oh, and I'm Felina, by the way."

Phoenix grinned and nodded. "I'm Phoenix, Phoenix Wright."

Maya loudly cleared her throat. "Nick, we really need to get going. I don't have the whole day off."

Phoenix nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry, but I have to go Felina."

Felina giggled like a young girl would. "May I have the honor of having your phone number Mr. Wright?"

Phoenix's face turned red and he started to stammer. "S-s-sure."

Phoenix quickly gave her his number. Felina smiled. "Thank you. I'll be sure to call you later."

Phoenix nodded his head as he started to walk away, nearly getting dragged by Maya. After they exited the train, they walked over to the station's exit. Maya then turned and punched Phoenix on the shoulder, with more force than Phoenix was expecting. "What was that for?"

"As I said, I don't have all day, and I'm really looking forward to the burgers. That was your punishment for delaying my meeting with the food from heaven!"

Phoenix chuckled. "I'm sorry. I promise I won't get in the way of your burgers the rest of the day."

Maya grinned and nodded. "I'll be holding you to it."

As they started to exit the station, a person was sitting on a bench, talking on the phone. "Yes, the plan is going well, even better than expected." After a pause, the person laughed. "Oh, we don't have to worry about him. He has 'other' things on his mind." After another pause, the person nodded. "Don't worry, I won't let this plan fail. In the end, Phoenix and Maya will both be dead, and I'll become the master of the Kurain Technique, like I should have been years ago." After yet another pause, the person laughed. "Oh, shush you. I'll be sure to give you considerable rewards for your assistance. Now, I must be going. There's plenty of things I must prepare for."

The person ended the call and looked to the exit. "Enjoy your days of relaxation and leisure while you can. Those days are numbered."


	6. Chapter 6

Phoenix's eyes bulged as the burger Maya once had in her hand was virtually inhaled in an endless pit. "Wasn't that your tenth burger?"

Maya nodded as she grabbed another burger. "I've been waiting years to have burgers. I'm not gonna be satisfied with just one burger."

"Yeah, I figured…but eleven?"

"Hey, you offered to pay, remember?"

Phoenix groaned as he instinctively reached for his wallet. "Yeah…I remember…and I greatly regret my decision."

Maya giggled. "But this definitely brings back a lot of memories. We used to come here all the time."

Phoenix smiled as his mind wandered a bit. "Yeah, you're right. I haven't been here for a few years. It just didn't feel the same without you here. It was our hangout so to speak after all."

Maya had already finished eating the last burger and let out a small burp. Phoenix chuckled. "Yeah, definitely not the same."

Maya patted her stomach. "Well, I'm stuffed. I don't think I can eat another burger."

Phoenix let out a sigh of relief. "Good…I was wondering when that black hole of yours would be filled."

Maya glared at Phoenix. "It's not a black hole…there is an end to it ya know."

Phoenix laughed as he stood up. "We should get going then. We still have to head to the office before we go back."

Maya slowly stood up. "Yeah, you're right. You've got the cab fare right?"

Phoenix sighed and nodded. "Yeah…I do. I really need to learn how to drive…"

Maya laughed. "If you did the cab companies would go out of business. You must be their star customer."

Phoenix shook his head. "Ha ha very funny."

"I thought it was."

After a short cab ride to the Wright Anything Agency, Phoenix opened the door and stepped inside. "I'm sure it's a lot different than it was when you were here."

Maya looked shocked as she entered. "More than just different. It's like I'm on a different planet."

Phoenix chuckled. "I'll go get the things I need. Be right back."

Phoenix grabbed a large, brown, paper bag and walked to Trucy's room. He quickly grabbed some clothes for her and put it in the bag. As he walked to his room, his mind started to wander, specifically to the encounter he had with Felina. She was beautiful, looked smart, and actually looked like she was interested in him. Judging by her looks, Phoenix assumed she was younger than him, but how much younger? Even though he and Maya were years apart, he still developed a love for her. His heart sank as he then thought about the fact that she was getting married. Taking a deep breath, he walked to the bathroom to get some more items they needed.

Maya, as she was waiting for Phoenix, casually roamed around the office, still shocked by how much it had changed. The desk that she had cleaned on more occasions than she could remember was long gone. In its place were nothing but piles of paper and boxes, and a weird plastic spaghetti statue. "Nick must be a bigger hoarder than I thought."

The door behind her swung open, startling Maya. She turned around and spotted a young man wearing a red suit behind her. The man looked at her quizzically. "Who are you?"

Maya bowed slightly. "I'm Maya. Maya Fey."

"Wait…are you THE Maya Fey? Mr. Wright's former assistant?"

Maya nodded. "Yes, I am."

Apollo reached out his hand. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm Apollo, Apollo Justice."

Maya grabbed his hand and shook it. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well."

Apollo laughed. "Man, it feels like I'm in the presence of a legend. Mr. Wright talks about you all the time."

"Wait, Nick talks about me?"

"Well, yeah, probably because—"

"Oh, hey Apollo, didn't know you'd be here." Both Maya and Apollo turned and looked at Phoenix who had just gotten back from gathering the items he needed.

"Oh, hey Mr. Wright. You enjoying your mini vacation?"

"Yeah, but had to come back here thanks to me forgetting our luggage in the cab."

Apollo laughed. "That sounds just like you."

"So how was your trial today?"

Apollo smirked. "Thanks to ballistic markings, fingerprint evidence, and multiple witness contradictions, I won the case. Jesus Bariallas was the real murderer."

Phoenix nodded. "Good job."

"Thank you Sir. Anyways, I need to get going. I promised I'd go celebrate with my client. I'll see you later Mr. Wright."

Apollo nodded and walked out of the office. Maya turned to Phoenix. "So, Apollo said you talk about me all the time."

"Huh? He did?"

"So what did you tell him? Better not have been anything embarrassing."

Phoenix laughed. "No, nothing like that. Just random things, like you were a great assistant, you were a spirit medium, stuff like that."

Maya glared at Phoenix. "You better be telling the truth. If not, I'll channel Mia, and she'll make sure it'll never happen again."

Phoenix chuckled. It had been years since he last spoke with Mia, his mentor. Through Maya, she helped him get through many tight situations in the courtroom.

"I'd rather you not. We should head to the train station though. We don't want to be late."

"Yeah, let's get going."

As they were about to leave the building, Phoenix's phone started to ring. Maya turned to him. "Steel Samurai theme huh? I thought you didn't like that show."

Phoenix smirked and answered the phone. "This is Wright."

The color in Phoenix's face soon vanished, replaced by a pasty white. "WHAT?! You're sure you've looked everywhere?" After a small pause, Phoenix sighed. "Okay, we'll be there as soon as we can. Keep looking and keep us updated." Phoenix ended the call and looked at Maya.

"What was that about?"

Phoenix sighed. "Pearl is missing."

Pearl's eyes slowly opened, vision blurred as she blinked several times. She tried to move her arms, only for a rope to prevent any movement. Pearl started to breathe faster as she struggled to sit up. "What happened?! Where am I?!"

She heard footsteps to the right of her. "Ah, you're finally awake."

Pearl looked at the person and gasped. "It can't be…how are you even here?!"


	7. Chapter 7

"So…why are you doing this? What's your plan?"

"The only thing you should know is that you're necessary for this plan to succeed."

Pearl glared at the figure as it paced back and forth in front of her. "If it wasn't for Misty Fey…if only it weren't for her, it would have never come to this. I would have been the master, and everything would have been just right, the way everything is supposed to be."

"But is that really a reason to go this far? To resort to kidnapping?"

The figure stared at Pearl. "Yes, it is. I lost everything that day. I'll do anything to get it back."

Phoenix and Maya nearly broke down the doors of the train in their rush to get off. After a short hike, they arrived at a now chaotic Kurain Village. The first people they saw were Jonathan and Trucy, who were sitting down on a bench. Jonathan looked up and noticed them. "Maya…" His eyes were red from crying and a bit of mucus was starting to escape his nose.

Maya rushed forward and threw her arms around him. "I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry. I should have kept a better eye on her." His voice cracked as he spoke.

Maya shook her head. "It's alright…it's not your fault. No one plans for these things." She broke the hug and looked at Jonathan. "What happened though?"

After taking a few deep breaths, Jonathan regained his composure. "Trucy was in the middle of showing me one of her magic tricks, saying she needed someone to watch to see how the audience would react. During that time, Pearl said she was going to pick some berries in the woods to help with lunch. However, she never came back. I've personally gone into the woods to look for her, but she's nowhere to be found."

Phoenix nodded. "Have you called the police yet?"

Jonathan nodded. "Yeah, we have. They're already on their way."

Phoenix put his hand on Jonathan's shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll find her."

Maya nodded as she sat next to Jonathan, putting her arm around his waist. "Nick's right. She'll be back, and in perfect health."

Jonathan smiled weakly. "Thanks…both of you."

Phoenix turned around and started to walk away. "I'm going to go and do my own search in the woods. If you need anything, don't hesitate to let me know."

Jonathan nodded. "Will do."

Phoenix soon entered the woods and looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of something, anything that would lead to Pearl. As he wandered, he stumbled upon a berry patch in a small clearing. "A berry patch…maybe this is the place Pearl was headed?" He looked at the berry bushes, their green leaves giving the area a lighter feel than the rest of the woods. Phoenix looked at the berries on the bushes, realizing he had never seen this type of berries before. As he took another step, his feet hit something, which caused him to stumble a bit. After regaining his balance, he looked down to see what had tripped him up. There, a partially filled berry basket was on the ground. Phoenix gasped as he took a closer look. He then looked around to see if there was anything else. As he walked, he saw a sandal on the ground, close to a bunch of broken twigs and branches. The realization then hit Phoenix. _This is where Pearl was kidnapped!_

Next to the broken twigs, Phoenix saw some deep footprints in the slightly soggy soil. Ignoring the danger he was putting himself in, he followed the footprints to a small waterfall. "Pearl! Pearl!"

Phoenix continued to call out her name. After not getting a response, and realizing he was getting nowhere, Phoenix walked back to the village to report his findings. As he walked back into the village, he noticed that it was now swarming with policemen.

In the chaos, Phoenix managed to spot Maya, Jonathan, and Trucy, still at the same spot where he had left them. As he walked up to them, he saw a familiar face talking to them. Maya noticed Phoenix first and motioned him to come over. Phoenix walked over and looked at the man talking to them. "It's been a long time Detective Gumshoe."

Gumshoe looked up from talking with Jonathan and stared at Phoenix. It took him a second to realize who he was. "Ah! Pal! Great to see you again! It's been years since we last saw each other!"

Phoenix chuckled. "Yeah, it has been."

Maya cut into the conversation. "So did you find anything Nick?"

To Maya's surprise, Phoenix nodded his head. "Yeah, I think I found the place where she was kidnapped. I found a basket, sandal, and some footprints leading to a small waterfall. The trail ends there though, and she was nowhere to be found."

"Where did you find that place?!" Gumshoe nearly knocked Phoenix down as he rushed up to him.

"It's just down the path down there." Phoenix pointed to the area he entered the woods. "There's a berry patch where I found them."

"Alright Pal! I'll get on it!"

Gumshoe got a few officers together and nearly ran into the woods. Maya sighed. "I sure hope they're able to find her."


	8. Chapter 8

Phoenix was sitting on a bench in Kurain, next to Maya and Jonathan, as the police were scurrying around. Maya was rubbing Jonathan's back as he shook his head, blaming himself for Pearl's kidnapping. Phoenix's thoughts were about Pearl. _She must be terrified right now…I hope the police find her quickly._ Suddenly, Phoenix's cell phone started ringing, startling everyone. Phoenix quickly took out his cell phone and rushed away from everyone. "Hello?"

"Ah, Phoenix. It's Felina. We met on the train earlier today."

"Oh, hi Felina. Sorry to say but now is not a good time."

"I'm sorry to have called you at such an inopportune time. Call me back when it's a better time for you."

Phoenix nodded. "Will do. Thanks for understanding."

Phoenix ended the call and inhaled a big gulp of cool air. As he was about to walk back to the bench, he felt his phone buzz. Taking it back out, he saw he had received a text from an unknown number. "Be on guard Wright. The same people who are kidnapped Pearl are also after both you and Maya. They'll stop at nothing to achieve their goal."

Phoenix stared at the text for a minute, a bit shocked to receive such a text. _What does this mean? Is he after Maya next?_ Flashbacks of what happened at Hazakura Temple flashed through his mind as he walked back towards the forest. He didn't feel the need to show Maya, since it would only shock and scare her. However, he should at least show the one person in the police force here that he could trust.

After walking through the same path he had walked before, straight towards the waterfall. Once there, Phoenix saw Gumshoe monitoring the investigation at the waterfall. "Detective Gumshoe."

Gumshoe turned and spotted Phoenix. "Ah, Pal. What are ya doing here?"

"I have something you would be interested in seeing." Phoenix still had his phone in his hand as he handed it to Gumshoe. "I just received this text a couple minutes ago. I don't want to show Maya, but I thought that I should at least show you."

Gumshoe looked at the phone's screen. "WHAAAAAT?!"

The police at the scene stopped and stared at Gumshoe. Phoenix shook his head as he said, "It seems that the person who kidnapped Pearl is far from done."

Gumshoe nodded. "I agree Pal. Since we have no idea who sent this, all we can do is note that the kidnapper is going to strike again, and the fact that someone else knows what's going on."

Phoenix nodded. "Yeah, just who else does know?"

Gumshoe shrugged his shoulders. "We'll look into this when we get back to the station. Until then, be on guard Pal."

"Will do." Phoenix started walking back towards Kurain Village.

Jonathan again shook his head, his hands covering his face. "I shouldn't have let her go into the woods alone…I screwed everything up."

Maya shook her head. "No, you didn't. It's not your fault Jonathan. You had no idea Pearl was in danger going in there."

Maya leaned towards Jonathan and kissed him. "Stop beating yourself up over this. It isn't your fault."

Jonathan smiled slightly. "Thanks Maya…you just know how to help calm me down."

Maya giggled. "Well, I may have been in the same position as you before."

"I really don't want to know what happened, do I?"

"Not really no."

They both heard footsteps to the left of them. Turning, they saw Phoenix walking towards them. "Nick! That was a long phone call."

Phoenix chuckled. "Yeah, it went longer than I expected."

"What was the call about?"

"Oh….just lawyer stuff. Nothing really exciting."

Maya looked at him quizzically. "I thought you weren't a lawyer anymore."

Phoenix smiled. "Yeah, well, I was acquitted from what happened. I retook the bar exam and…well…I'm a lawyer again. I was actually in the process of finding an assistant when Trucy asked me to come along with her here."

Maya's eyes lit up. "That's awesome Nick! Congrats!"

Phoenix chuckled. "Thanks." _Well, at least her mind is taken off of Pearls, even if just for a moment._

"Wait, why didn't you ask me to be the assistant again?"

"Well…I had considered it. However, since you were the Master, I decided against it."

"Hmph…"

After an awkward silence, Maya's stomach growled. "Oh…sorry…I guess I'm hungry."

Phoenix looked shocked. "How in the world can you be hungry?! I lost count of the number of burgers you ate!"

"That was my burger stomach Nick. My actual stomach is still hungry." Maya stood up. "I'm gonna go grill us some food!"

Maya sprinted down the hill towards the manor, leaving Phoenix and Jonathan. Phoenix cleared his throat. "So…how was Trucy while we were gone?"

Jonathan scoffed. "Annoying. She kept wanting to practice her magic tricks with me."

Phoenix glared at Jonathan. "You do know that's my daughter you're talking about, right?"

"Oh, guess she's almost exactly like her father, or adoptive father to be more specific."

Phoenix struggled to maintain his composure. "What did I do to have you hate us?"

Jonathan just glared at Phoenix before standing up and walked away.

"What is his problem?"

Trucy's voice startled Phoenix. "I'm not annoying, am I?"

Phoenix turned and saw Trucy standing behind him, obviously hurt by what Jonathan had said.

Phoenix walked up to her and hugged her. "No, you're not. You're not annoying at all."

Trucy hugged Phoenix back for a few moments before breaking the hug. "Thanks…"

She smiled at Phoenix before walking away. Phoenix sighed as he took out his phone and looked at the text again. _I don't know who sent this…but why would they know what the kidnapper is up to, and why tell me?_

Phoenix suddenly heard a scream. "DADDY! HEL—"

Phoenix sprinted towards the direction of Trucy's voice. However, the only thing he could see was her silk hat on the ground. "Trucy!" Phoenix spun around, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. "TRUUCY!"

Phoenix waited, praying for a response. However, she didn't call out to him. Phoenix reached out his hand and balanced himself on the side of a building. As he tried to catch his breath, he saw a piece of paper on the ground, under Trucy's hat. Phoenix hesitantly walked over and picked it up. After unfolding the paper, he saw a note. "There is no hope Wright. Our plan is perfect."

Gumshoe had collected as much evidence as he could find as he walked back to his car. As he set some of the more sensitive evidence on the passenger seat, he heard a scream in the distance. He ran to the direction the scream came from, but as he arrived, he only saw Phoenix, who was kneeling on the ground, a blank expression painted on his face. "Pal! Are you alright?"

Phoenix broke out of his trance and slowly looked at Gumshoe. "They…they took her."

"Took who?"

"They took Trucy…my daughter…they kidnapped her."

"WHAAAAT?!"

Phoenix raised his arm and handed Gumshoe the note. "They left this behind…"

Gumshoe quickly snatched the note from Phoenix and stared at it. He frowned as he read it.

"Two kidnappings in the same area in one day. This is bad…do you know if anyone here didn't like your daughter?"

Phoenix tried to calm himself enough to think clearly. "Jonathan actually. He found her annoying and doesn't seem to like her because she's my daughter."

"Was he in the area when the kidnapping happened?"

"Yeah…but he had walked away a while ago before the kidnapping."

Gumshoe nodded. "I see. That's all I needed to hear."

Phoenix stood up. "What are you going to do?"

Gumshoe started walking away. "To do what I need to do. We have one person who was in the area during the time of two kidnappings. We have motive with at least one of the kidnappings. We have enough to make an arrest."

Gumshoe rushed towards Kurain. He soon found Jonathan walking from the direction of the forest. Gumshoe shouted out his name. "Jonathan! Jonathan Crinkle! Stay right where you are."

Gumshoe ran towards Jonathan. "Is there something I can help you with officer?"

"Yeah, put your hands behind your back. You're under arrest for the kidnappings of Pearl Fey and Trucy Wright."

"Wait, what?! I didn't do anything! And Trucy was just here just a short while ago!"

Gumshoe ignored Jonathan's protests as he cuffed him. "We have evidence that points towards you, you were the only one in the area during both kidnappings, and you have a motive to kidnapping Trucy."

Maya had just left the manor and spotted Gumshoe arresting Jonathan. She ran up towards Gumshoe. "What are you doing?! He didn't do anything!"

"Sorry Maya, but we have enough to charge him with the two kidnappings."

"Wait, two kidnappings?"

Maya glanced at Phoenix who nodded. "Trucy was just kidnapped about ten minutes ago…"

Maya gasped. Gumshoe started leading Jonathan to his car. He turned and looked at Phoenix. "Don't worry, we'll find them Pal!"

Gumshoe helped sit Jonathan in the backseat of his car. Soon, he got into the driver's seat, started the engine, and drove away.

Maya watched as Gumshoe's car disappeared into the distance. She then turned to Phoenix, tears in her eyes. "You're going to do something, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're going to defend Jonathan right?!"

"Maya…I…"

As he looked at Maya's pleading face, he sighed. "Yeah…I'll defend him."


	9. Chapter 9

Phoenix checked his watch for the time as he nervously waited in the detention center. He had arrived ten minutes prior to the beginning of visitor's hours. Maya sat next to him, staring off into nothingness. Phoenix could tell that the night before had been hard on her. The dark circles around her eyes, baggy eyelids, and repeated yawns let Phoenix know that she got little, if any, sleep.

A guard entered the room and looked at everyone who was waiting for other inmates. "Opening hours have now begun. Please go to your designated spot and wait to be given further instructions."

The guard left the room as the few people who were waiting got up out of their chairs and into the spots they were told to go to when they entered. Another guard entered the room and escorted Phoenix and Maya to a visitor's room, where they saw Jonathan sitting on the other side of the glass. He looked up and grinned when he saw Maya enter the room.

"I never thought you'd get to see me like this…"

Maya nodded. "I didn't either…I can't believe you're being accused for this! You didn't do anything!"

Jonathan smiled. "I know I didn't, though it'll take a little bit for the courts to figure it out. I was told yesterday about a master lawyer who is going to be defending me, so everything will turn out fine."

Maya nodded. "Yeah, Nick here is a great attorney and will get you out of here."

Jonathan looked puzzled as he stole a glance at Phoenix. "Phoenix? As my lawyer? I think you must be mistaken. He would never help, and even if he did, I'd probably be declared guilty within a minute."

Phoenix calmed the anger that had quickly arisen inside him. "Jonathan, we may not always get along, but let me tell you this, I'm going to do everything in my power to prove your innocence. Both Pearl and Trucy are probably terrified right now. Do you think I want you to be proven guilty and have their kidnappers still walk free with both of them?"

Jonathan's eyes softened a bit and looked down. "No…I don't think you'd want that…and you would do anything you legally can to help me." Jonathan sighed. "I'll tell you what happened before Pearl was kidnapped, but I have no clue about anything regarding Trucy's kidnapping. I was talking with my mother for a bit, and after I just finished talking with her, that detective rushed over and arrested me."

Phoenix smiled and nodded. "What can you tell me about Pearls' disappearance?"

"Well, I was with Trucy, on the opposite side of Kurain when she left for the forest. She was trying to show me her magic panties trick, but I wasn't willing to watch."

"So, with Trucy kidnapped, no one can confirm your alibi…that makes things harder."

"But sadly, that's all I can say about Pearl's kidnapping as well. As I said, I'm innocent in this and have no idea what else happened. I know that only makes your job harder, but that's all I know."

Phoenix nodded. "That's alright…if that's all you know, that's all you know. Better than just making things up on the spot. I'll get to the bottom of this however and prove your innocence."

Jonathan smiled. "Thank you…Mr. Wright. Truly…thank you."

Phoenix smiled. "It's my pleasure."

A guard walked in the room. "Mr. Wright, Ms. Fey, it's time for you two to get going."

Jonathan looked over at Maya sadly. "I guess I'll see you later then…"

Maya held back tears as she nodded. "Yeah…I'll see you later. I love you."

"I love you too."

The judge escorted Jonathan from the room and back into a hallway. Phoenix and Maya walked out of the detention center and to a taxi. "Well, I guess I should get back to Kurain. I need to investigate as much as I can before the trial."

"You mean 'we' right?"

"What?"

"You said that you had to go to Kurain to investigate when you should have said that we need to go. I'm coming with you."

Phoenix sighed. "Maya, you don't have to help. Considering that Pearls and—"

"I want to help Nick. Jonathan is arrested and here I am, free and able to help. I'd be betraying him if I didn't do anything to help prove his innocence."

Phoenix stared at Maya for a few seconds before nodding in agreement. "Alright, you can come along. We should head to the train—"

Phoenix's phone beeped, letting him know he had received a text. He took out his phone and opened the text. "Maya is their next target. Be on the lookout and protect her."

Maya tried to look at the screen before Phoenix moved it out of her sight. "What was that?"

"Just a text."

"Oh? Who sent it?"

"A….sales company."

"What would they send you?"

"A sale about hoodies. You know that I owned quite a few while I was on my hiatus."

"And why can't I look at the text?"

"Because…you don't like hoodies?"

Maya glared at Phoenix before he relented. "Alright…but…it wasn't a sales text. This strange number has texted me twice now…and…well…you should take a look at them."

Phoenix handed Maya the phone, who eagerly snatched it from his hands. After quickly reading the two texts, Phoenix could see the color seemingly flee from her face. "Why…why didn't you tell me about this when…"

Phoenix looked away. "I didn't want to worry you. You already have a lot to worry about, and I didn't want to add yet another thing."

Maya slowly handed the phone back to him. "So…they were kidnapped…because of me…"

"Maya, you don't—"

"Don't tell me that's not the truth, because you know as much as I do that that's the truth Phoenix!"

Phoenix flinched from Maya actually calling him by his name. He sighed as he put his hand on her shoulder. "Look, Maya, I promise we'll find them. We'll get them back. However, I'm going to need help. I need you to be fully capable of helping me. Can you do that?"

Maya wiped at her eyes, drying the few tears that had started to fall down her cheek. "Yes…I can."

Phoenix smiled. "Good. Anyways, we need to get to Kurain. We need to start our investigation."

After a taxi and train ride, they made it back to Kurain in only a couple hours. Phoenix took a deep breath of mountain air. "Alright, time to get our investigation started."

As the walked into the forest, a uniformed officer stopped them. "Sorry, authorized personnel only."

"Oh, I'm Phoenix, Phoenix Wright. I'm defending the defendant in this case."

"I know who you are, but you haven't been given access to the crime scene."

"Wait, why not? I've investigated plenty of crime scenes in the past."

"Yeah, but Prosecutor Lortimor gave us strict orders not to let anyone other than law enforcement into the crime scene, specifically mentioning you."

"Wait, Lortimor?"

"Yes, Prosecutor Lortimor will be the prosecuting attorney at tomorrow's trial. Anyways, we are very busy trying to catch a kidnapper. I must be going."

The officer walked back into the forest, leaving Phoenix and Maya there alone.

Phoenix shook his head. "I guess we won't be getting any work done until tomorrow…"


	10. Chapter 10

Phoenix could hear the audible tick of the clock behind him as he read the case file in the defendant's lobby. Phoenix slowly closed the folder as he nervously ran his fingers through his hair. "Man, I'm more nervous than I usually am."

Phoenix knew Jonathan wasn't facing the death penalty if convicted but being convicted of a crime as serious as kidnappings isn't easy to live with moving forward. Maya nodded. "I know how you feel…I've never been this nervous before a case in my life, not even when I was on trial."

The bailiff entered the defendant's lobby. "Mr. Wright, the trial is about to begin. Please make your way into the courtroom immediately."

Phoenix looked at both Maya and Jonathan. "Well, it's time. Let's get this started."

The judge banged his gavel. "Court is now in session for the trial of Jonathan Crinkle."

"The defense is ready, your honor."

The prosecutor coughed and, in a highly nasally voice, said, "The prosecution is ready your honor."

The judge nodded. "From what I've been told, this case is concerning not one, but two kidnappings. Is that correct?"

Lortimor shook his head. "Yes, your honor."

"Do you know where the two victims are?"

"No, we don't. The defendant refuses to tell us their whereabouts, telling us that he wasn't responsible for the kidnappings. However, we have evidence that tells us otherwise."

"What evidence do you have to present?"

Lortimor brought out a sandal. "First, this sandal. It was worn by one of the victims, and it has traces that Jonathan had at the very least picked up the sandal."

"Why do you say that?"

"Fingerprints, your honor. There are plenty of fingerprints all over the sandal. There are only two pairs of fingerprints on the sandal, the victim's and Jonathan's. Secondly, there are also plenty of hairs from the defendant that the detectives found on the sandal."

"Couldn't the defendant have touched the sandal beforehand?"

"No, your honor. It's not possible. It was the victim's first time wearing the sandal. The only time Jonathan would have been able to touch it is during or after the kidnappings. The defendant, by his very confession, stated that he didn't touch the sandal after the kidnapping. If he is to be believed here, the only other time he could have is during. Even the detective in charge of the case agrees."

The judge nodded. "I see. So you intend to call the detective as a witness?"

Lortimor nodded. "Yes, your honor."

"Understood. You may call your witness."

"The prosecution calls Detective Gumshoe to the stand."

Gumshoe opened the door to the courtroom and walked right up to the witness stand. "Name and occupation witness."

"Dick Gumshoe sir! I'm a detective for the police!"

The judge nodded. "Can you tell the court the details of the case?"

"Yes sir!"

"While Pearl was picking berries, she was kidnapped, leaving her basket and sandal behind. We followed a set of footprints to a waterfall, but they end there. Now after Pearl was kidnapped, Trucy was alone at a clearing, hurt after what the defendant told her. This provides motive and opportunity, all pointing to Jonathan Crinkle."

The judge nodded. "I see. That does provide motives and opportunity for the defendant. Mr. Wright, you may begin your cross-examination."

 _Alright, I just need to get as much information as I possibly can. I should press Gumshoe on everything I can._

Maya looked at Phoenix. "You've got this Nick!"

"While Pearl was picking berries, she was kidnapped—"

"Hold it! What kind of berries was Pearl picking?"

"Blueberries Pal! I even tasted one while I was there, so I definitely know it was blueberries."

"Wait, you tasted one?!"

"Sure did. My salary is…low, so I figured that since I was hungry, a berry or two would be great."

"If they weren't blueberries, they could have killed you!"

Gumshoe scratched the back of his head. "Yeah…well…I was willing to take that risk."

 _Someone should definitely increase his salary…for the sake of his life. But wait a minute…wasn't the basket that was found filled with boysenberries?_

"Are you certain, Detective, that the berries were indeed blueberries?"

"Yes, Pal, I'm certain."

"I'm osrry to tell you, but you've made a mistake."

"What do ya mean Pal?"

"The berries that Pearl was picking…they were boysenberries."

"What?! Are you sure?!"

"I am."

The judge stared at Phoenix. "What proof do you of this Mr. Wright?"

"The basket that was found at the site of the kidnapping, it was filled with boysenberries, not blueberries."

"OBJECTION! Your honor, there are two things I would like to say about this. First of all, the berries in that patch were indeed blueberries. Secondly, what type of berries were picked is of no concern to the court as the berries aren't involved in any facet of the kidnappings."

"OBJECTION!" Phoenix slammed on the desk. "Your honor, I have an explanation about the berries that would make this critical in the case."

"Very well, Mr. Wright, what explanation do you have?"

Phoenix looked at Lortimor. "The place where the basket was found is not the same place where Pearl was kidnapped."

The crowd burst into chatter as the judge banged his gavel. "Order! Order! Mr. Wright, do you have any evidence to substantiate your theory?'

"I…don't, your honor, at least not yet."

Lortimor laughed. "Then perhaps you should have kept your mouth shut hm?"

The judge nodded. "I agree Mr. Wright. If you don't have proof, I can't accept your theory. Now, Mr. Lortimor—"

"Hold it!" The judge looked at Phoenix. "Yes, Mr. Wright?"

"Just give me one minute your honor, and I can prove my theory has some evidence supporting it."

The judge nodded. "Alright, you have one minute."

Phoenix quickly turned to Maya. "Is there any place near Kurain that has boysenberries?"

"Well…yes, there is, at the base of Blue Mountain, but access to Blue Mountain is forbidden after a murder occurred there thirty years ago."

"That has to be it!" Phoenix turned back to the judge. "Your honor, there is a place near Kurain where boysenberries were available to be picked."

"Oh? Where is that Mr. Wright?"

"At the base of Blue Mountain."

"Blue Mountain?"

Maya slightly raised her hand to get the judge's attention. "Blue Mountain is a mountain outside of Kurain. However, it's forbidden to go there after a murder occurred there thirty years ago."

"Hmmm…I see...well Mr. Lortimor, there apparently is the possibility of having Wright's theory actually being correct."

Lortimor chuckled. "Indeed, your honor. It appears my test of Mr. Wright's abilities is complete?"

"Excuse me?"

Lortimor looked at the judge and then at Phoenix. "I knew since yesterday night that the kidnapping took place at Blue Mountain, thanks to a certain witness that stepped forward."

"There was a witness to the kidnapping?"

"Yes, your honor, there was. Christian Lumarta was taking a stroll through the area and witnessed Pearl being kidnapped."

The court burst into chatter again as the judge banged his gavel. "Mr. Lortimor, prepare your witness. The court will take a ten-minute recess."

The judge banged his gavel. "Court is now in recess."


	11. Chapter 11

Phoenix walked into the defendant's lobby, breathing out a sigh. Jonathan soon joined him and Maya in the lobby. Phoenix immediately turned to him. "Jonathan, were you anywhere near Blue Mountain during Pearl's kidnapping?"

"No, I wasn't. I was at the Fey Manor. I'm not sure how anyone could have seen me at the mountain."

"Do you have any siblings that look like you?"

"…Yeah…I have a brother. However…he's not around anymore."

"Was he killed?"

"No…he just…disappeared one day. He just left a note saying don't look for him. I haven't seen him since."

"I think there's a chance that he could be back."

Jonathan shook his head. "I don't believe that's the case. He's been gone for years. I don't think he would return just to frame me."

"I don't know about that. As you said, he's been gone for years. You have no idea what he's like now, or what he's been up to. You can't take away the possibility he's involved."

Jonathan looked down and away from Phoenix. The bailiff entered the lobby. "Mr. Wright, the trial is about to resume."

Phoenix nodded. "We'll be right there."

He looked one last time at Jonathan before he walked into the courtroom.

Meanwhile, in an unknown location, Trucy slowly regained consciousness. As her eyes opened, the only thing she could see was the rocky sides of a cave with a faint glow at the end of the tunnel. She tried to move her arms, but some loosely tied ropes prevented her from moving them. Slowly, Trucy moved her wrists as to loosen the grip of the rope even more. After a few minutes of continuously pressing against the rope, the knot became undone and fell to the ground. Trucy quickly stood up and dashed to the faint glow, which led her to the entrance of the cave. Looking around, she spotted Kurain Village in the distance. She sprinted in that direction, hoping her kidnapper wouldn't find out she had escaped.

The judge slammed his gavel. "Court is back in session. Prosecutor Lortimor, have you prepared your witness?"

"Yes, I have, your honor. The prosecution calls Christian Lumarta to the stand."

Phoenix saw a brown-haired freckled man walk into the room and to the witness stand. The judge looked at Christian. "Mr. Lumarta, I understand that you saw what had transpired at the base of Blue Mountain?"

Christian nodded his head. "Yes, your honor. You are correct."

"Then tell the court what you saw that day."

"I was taking a leisurely stroll near Blue Mountain that day. I had heard about a murder that had occurred there years ago and wanted to check the place out. Suddenly, I heard a muffled scream as I saw the defendant put a cloth of some kind around the face of a blonde-haired girl. He then carried her off into the woods."

The judge nodded. "So you clearly saw the defendant?"

"Yes I did your honor."

"Very well. Mr. Wright, you may begin your cross-examination."

 _I already know he's lying just by the hair color, though if he truly were there, he may have some more information that may be helpful. I should press him just in case._

"I was taking a leisurely stroll near Blue Mountain that day. I had heard about a murder that had occurred there years ago and wanted to check the place out—"

"Hold it! Why did you want to check the place out?"

"I'm a photographer Mr. Wright. I wanted to take some scenic pictures. Also, I was very curious about the place after I had heard about the murder."

"Weren't you afraid to go there alone?"

"Not at all. The murder occurred decades ago. The killer probably has never returned there afterwards. I had nothing to fear, except for what happened later."

"Suddenly, I heard a muffled scream—"

"Hold it! Which direction did the scream come from?"

"To my right, closer to the mountain."

Lortimor shook his head. "Was that really necessary Mr. Wright?"

"Necessary, no. However, I did want to get as much information as I possibly can."

"Hmph."

The judge nodded. "You may continue Mr. Lumarta."

"I saw the defendant put a cloth of some kind around the face of a blonde-haired girl—"

"OBJECTION!" Phoenix pointed at Christain. "Mr. Lumarta was it? I'm afraid that you made a very critical error in your testimony."

"What did I do wrong?"

Phoenix took out a picture of Pearl. "This, Christian, is the first kidnapping victim you're testifying about. As you can see, she doesn't have blonde hair, but brown. She's a brunette."

"What?!"

The crowd burst into chatter, some calling him a phony witness. The judge banged his gavel. "Order! Order! Mr. Lumarta, this court won't accept fabricated testimonies!"

"I-I'm sorry your honor, but sometimes I misspeak when I talk. That's why I like to be alone and photograph landscapes, no talking required. I think one thing but say another. Please, let my revise my testimony!"

The judge furrowed his brow in thought before he banged his gavel. "Very well, the court will hear your revised testimony. Be sure to say exactly what you think though Mr. Lumarta."

"Thank you, your honor."

"I swear I saw the kidnapping! The defendant drugged the brown-haired girl who clawed at him. However, the defendant overpowered her and flung her on his back, dropping her shoes in the process."

The judge nodded. "Are you sure this is the correct testimony?"

"Yes, your honor. I am."

"Alright. Mr. Wright, your cross-examination."

"I swear I saw the kidnapping! The defendant drugged the brown-haired girl who clawed at him—"

"OBJECTION!" Phoenix slammed on his desk. "Mr. Lumarta, if the victim had indeed clawed at the defendant, we would see scratch marks all over him. However, we see none. How do you explain this?"

"Simple. The drugs were starting to have an effect, so as she scratched, they didn't leave any marks behind."

Lortimor nodded. "Indeed, that would be possible."

Phoenix sighed. "Yeah…it is possible."

The judge looked at Christian. "You may continue Mr. Lumarta."

"The defendant overpowered her and flung her on his back, dropping her shoes in the process—"

"OBJECTION! Mr. Lumarta, there's two errors in your testimony right there."

Lortimor shook his head. "Really? Mr. Wright? Is this another bluffing attempts I've heard so much about?"

Phoenix shook his head. "No, it isn't. Mr. Lumarta, you clearly stated her shoes were dropped near the base of Blue Mountain, correct?"

"Yep."

"Well then, I'd like you to take a look at this sandal, found in a blueberry patch some distance away from Blue Mountain. This sandal was the victim's. She wore it on the day of her kidnapping." Phoenix slammed on his desk. "Not only did you get the location wrong, but you got the footwear wrong as well."

"What?! How is that possible?!"

"Mr. Lumarta, you've been lying to the court!"

"OBJECTION! Lortimor pointed at Phoenix. "The witness meant shoes in general, and not specifically wearing shoes!"

"OBJECTION! In a court of law, the witness needs to be very specific!"

"OBJECTION! The victim didn't know about this rule, so he didn't know he was breaking it!"

"OBJECTION! That's your job to prepare him! You should have told him all the rules necessary!"

"Urk…"

The judge banged his gavel. "Order! Mr. Lorimor, you have failed to adequately prepare your client! I will be forced to penalize you!"

Christian meekly raised his hand. "Um…your honor, I just remembered something I should have said in my earlier testimonies. I…followed the defendant from a safe distance so that he wouldn't hear me."

"You…followed him?"

"Yes…I did."

"Very well, you may testify once again."

"After the defendant picked up the victim, I followed him through the forest until we got to a waterfall. I couldn't find him anywhere so I went back."

"Hmmm…I see. Mr. Wright, you may begin your cross-examination."

 _Cross-examine what? It's a simple, solid testimony._

"After the defendant picked up the victim, I followed him through the forest—"

"Hold it! How long did you follow him for?"

"About five minutes? It really wasn't that long to be honest."

"Nick, that's not right."

"What do you mean?"

"It takes about twenty minutes to get to the waterfall from the mountain."

"You sure?"

"Positive."

"OBJECTION!" Phoenix stared at Christian. "You have lied yet again Mr. Lumarta."

"What do you mean?"

"It takes about twenty minutes to get to the waterfall from the mountain, not five! You can't possibly have gotten that far in just five minutes!"

The crowd burst into chatter again as the judge banged his gave. "Mr. Lumarta! What is the meaning of this?! I'll have you arrested for perjury if you keep lying to the court."

Christian looked around the room, sensing all the glares directed at him. "I…I…I'm sorry…but…I….can't tell…"

The judge leaned forward. "Can't tell what?"

"I…promised I wouldn't tell. My life…would be in danger. The real kidnapper….would kill me if she knew I told."

The crowd burst into a frenzied chatter, unable to be calmed by the judge. The trial was postponed until the next day as Christian Lumarta was placed into protective custody.


	12. Chapter 12

Phoenix exhaled deeply as he walked into the defendant's lobby. He had managed to buy Jonathan another day, that was what mattered most. He just hoped that this opportunity wouldn't be wasted. Maya was right behind him, face beaming with pride. "You were great in there, Nick! It was just like the old days!"

Phoenix chuckled. "Thanks Maya. If it weren't for you in there, it could have been entirely different."

"So, what now?"

"Well, we're going to need to speak to Christian Lumarta. He was the one who witnessed at least one of the kidnappings, so unless we know exactly what happened, we won't be able to completely prove Jonathan's innocence."

"Well? What are we waiting for then?"

"Jonathan. I need to ask him something."

As if on cue, Jonathan was escorted into the defendant's lobby by a guard. "Mr. Wright…thank you…for everything you've done for me so far."

Phoenix grinned. "Maya needs to be thanked for the last part. If it weren't for her telling me how far away the waterfall was from Blue Mountain, we'd probably still be in there, and at a totally different result."

Jonathan smiled at Maya. Phoenix cleared his throat. "Anyways, I do need to ask you something."

"What do you need to know?"

"Where were you when Trucy was kidnapped?"

"I was at Mystic Ami's statue. I was even arrested there by the detective, remember?"

Phoenix fingered the magatama that he had. _No psyche-locks appeared. He's telling the truth._

"Alright. Anyways, we'll swing by the detention center later for a visit. Hopefully by then we'll have more information to tell you about."

Jonathan nodded. "I'll be looking forward to it."

Jonathan was ushered out of the lobby as Phoenix and Maya walked away. After exiting the courthouse and flagging down a cab, they arrived at the detention center just as Christian was being transferred there. After speaking to the receptionist, they were told to wait a few minutes until Christian was officially transferred. After several minutes, a guard motioned them into a visitor's room where Christian was sitting on the opposite side. However, Maya continued to sit in the chair, not following Phoenix into the room. "You're…Mr. Wright was it? The lawyer?"

Phoenix nodded. "I am."

"Why did you come to see me so soon?"

"Because I need to know everything I can about the real kidnapper. You were there, you saw him."

"Her. I saw her. It was a lady who kidnapped the girl. Late twenties, maybe even early thirties, green eyes, but I didn't get a chance to see her hair color."

"Why not?"

"She was wearing a hoodie. Kind of hard to see hair when there's a hood blocking your view."

 _He doesn't…seem to be acting like his life is in any danger._

"And you're sure about this?"

"I am. I got a pretty good look of her."

Phoenix stood up. "Thank you for your time Christian."

Christian nodded. "No problem. Nothing else I can do for you?"

"Not at the moment no, but if there's something else I need to ask, I'll be sure to come back."

"Alright. I'll be expecting you."

Phoenix left the visitor's room and saw Maya still sitting in the chair, staring into nothingness. "Hey, Maya, why didn't you want to join me in talking with Christian?"

Maya jerked by Phoenix's voice. "Oh…sorry Nick. I…was just thinking about the case. I didn't even know you had left."

"Are you okay? Nothing I can help you with?"

"I'm fine Nick. I promise."

"Well…if you say so. Anyways, we should head to Kurain Village. I want to investigate a few things while we're there."

Maya nodded. "Lead the way."

After they made their way to the train station, they both boarded the train wand waited for the train to move. After a couple hours, they pulled into Kurain station.

Phoenix, who had been sleeping, stretched. "Finally made it."

Maya nodded. "And you were snoring the entire time."

"I was not!"

Maya giggled. "Yeah, you were. Even the people in front of us were making comments to me about it."

Phoenix glanced as the two people who sat in front of them snickered as they left the train. "That's only because I was sitting. If I were lying down, it would be entirely different."

"If you say so."

Phoenix's phone began to ring. "This is Wr—"

"PAL! YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT!"

"Wait, what happened?!"

"Trucy…she's back! She escaped!"

"WHAT?! How is she?! Where are you guys?!"

"She's with me right now at Maya's house!"

"I'll be right there!"

Phoenix quickly hung up the phone and dashed out of the train, leaving Maya to try to catch up with him. "Nick…what…happened?!" Maya yelled as she was trying to catch her breath.

"Trucy…is back…your place…."

Maya gasped as they continued to dash towards Kurain. Soon, Phoenix climbed up the stairs to her house and burst through the entrance, immediately seeing Trucy sitting with Gumshoe and several other people. "TRUCY!"

Trucy looked at Phoenix and ran towards him. They embraced halfway, with Trucy sobbing as she rest her face in Phoenix's chest. "I thought I'd never get to see you again…"

Phoenix tried to hold back his own tears. "I would have gone to hell and back in order to see you again."

After she had calmed down, Phoenix led her back to where she was sitting before. She looked up at Phoenix. "I heard from Detective Gumshoe that you're defending Jonathan concerning our kidnappings. I can tell you that he is not responsible for it, but someone like him is."

"Someone like him?"

"Yeah, he has the same type voice, smell, everything, but he's different. I know that for a fact."

"Can you tell that to the judge then tomorrow? Maybe we can get at least one charge dropped."

Trucy nodded. "Of course."

Phoenix smiled. _But…Christian said that the kidnapper for Pearl was a woman…could there have been two unrelated kidnappings on the same day?_ _Wait…_

Phoenix looked at Trucy. "Pearls! Do you know where she is? Was she with you?"

Trucy shook her head. "No…she wasn't with me in the cave."

"The cave by the waterfall?"

Trucy nodded. "It took me a while to get around the waterfall though, otherwise I would have been here sooner."

"Then…where in the world is she?"

Meanwhile, back at the detention center, Jonathan scowled as he saw who his visitor was. "I never thought I'd see you again. Why are you here? It HAS been twenty years since we last saw each other."

"Oh, don't give me that crap. I'm not here to wish you luck or anything with your trial. I AM here however with a proposition."

"What proposition?"

"'Taking care of' Maya of course."

"You want me…you want me to kill her?!"

"Kill is such a strong word. More like tying up loose ends. You will do it right? If not, I can't guarantee the secrets of your past won't be…leaked into being public knowledge."

Jonathan scowled at him. "That's blackmail, not a proposition!"

"Call it what you will, it doesn't change the outcome. So? Do we have a deal?"

Jonathan looked down and shrugged. "I'll…have to think about it."

"Fine, have it your way. I'll give you until after the trial for you to make your decision. Just know that refusal or indecisiveness will result in permanent consequences."

The visitor stood up and left the room, leaving Jonathan there with his thoughts.


End file.
